{{short description|English footballer (born 1988)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2024}} {{Use British English|date=June 2016}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Jerome Okimo | image = | caption = | full_name = Jerome Okide O. N. Okimo<ref name="ENFA">{{cite web | title = Player search | url = http://www.enfa.co.uk/ | publisher = English National Football Archive | accessdate = 21 December 2014 |url-access=registration }}</ref> | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1988|6|8|df=y}} | birth_place = Ealing, England | height = | position = Defender | currentclub = Barnet (coach) | clubnumber = | youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–2006 | youthclubs1 = Chalfont St. Peter | years1 = 2006–2013 | clubs1 = Chalfont St. Peter | caps1 = | goals1 = | years2 = 2012 | clubs2 = → Wingate & Finchley (loan) | caps2 = 1 | goals2 = 0 | years3 = 2013–2014 | clubs3 = Wealdstone | caps3 = 38 | goals3 = 0 | years4 = 2014–2016 | clubs4 = Stevenage | caps4 = 42 | goals4 = 1 | years5 = 2016–2017 | clubs5 = Braintree Town | caps5 = 46 | goals5 = 1 | years6 = 2017–2022 | clubs6 = Wealdstone | caps6 = 195 | goals6 = 6 | years7 = 2022–2025 | clubs7 = Barnet | caps7 = 97 | goals7 = 2 | totalcaps= 419 | totalgoals= 10 | club-update = }} '''Jerome Okide O. N. Okimo''' (born 8 June 1988) is a retired English professional footballer who is currently a coach for {{English football updater|Barnet}} club Barnet.
==Club career== ===Non-league football=== Okimo began his career at Chalfont St. Peter where he made 308 appearances. During his time there, Okimo went on trial at Football League side Gillingham in 2009 but missed out on a contract after injuring his Achilles tendon. After seven years at Chalfont St. Peter, Okimo moved to Isthmian League Premier Division side Wealdstone in the summer of 2013, going on to play an instrumental role in their promotion to the Conference South in 2014, making 38 league appearances.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://wealdstone-fc.com/history/first-team-2013-14/ |title=Wealdstone FC » First Team (2013–14) |website=wealdstone-fc.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140810004459/http://wealdstone-fc.com/history/first-team-2013-14/ |archive-date=10 August 2014}}</ref>
===Stevenage=== In August 2014, Okimo followed former Wealdstone teammate Tom Pett (who signed for them in June 2014) to Stevenage, making his debut as an 83rd-minute substitute in a 1–0 win over Hartlepool United on 9 August 2014.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/28646825|title=Stevenage 1–0 Hartlepool United|work=BBC Sport|accessdate=6 April 2021}}</ref> Okimo was released after two seasons at the club in May 2016.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36289166|title=Okimo among eight released by Stevenage|work=BBC Sport|accessdate=6 April 2021}}</ref>
===Braintree Town=== In July 2016, he signed for National League side Braintree Town on a free transfer following his release from Stevenage.<ref name="THREE MORE SIGN FOR BRAINTREE">{{Cite news | title = THREE MORE SIGN FOR BRAINTREE | url = http://nonleague.pitchero.com/news/three-more-sign-for-braintree-48664/ | publisher = Non League Pitchero | accessdate = 18 August 2016}}</ref>
===Wealdstone=== After leaving Braintree, Okimo re-signed for Wealdstone in July 2017.<ref>{{cite tweet|number=883812763830816768|user=WealdstoneFC|title=A champion returns. We've re-signed Jerome Okimo. Jerome was a member of our Ryman League winning squad in 2014.<!-- full text of tweet that Twitter returned to the bot (excluding links) added by TweetCiteBot. This may be better truncated or may need expanding (TW limits responses to 140 characters) or case changes. --> |date=8 July 2017}}</ref> He captained the club to their 2019–20 National League South title win, playing 32 of the 33 league games and scoring 3 goals before the season was curtailed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with Wealdstone promoted on points per game.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.kilburntimes.co.uk/sport/four-wealdstone-players-named-in-the-team-of-the-season-3842234|title=Four Wealdstone players named in the National League South team of the season|first=Jacob|last=Ranson|date=4 August 2020|website=Kilburn Times|accessdate=6 April 2021}}</ref> He was named in the National League South Team of the Year as a result of his performances.<ref name="auto"/> Okimo started and captained every game of the 2020–21 season, scoring a solitary goal against Barnet.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://uk.soccerway.com/players/jerome-okimo/356079/|title = England – J. Okimo – Profile with news, career statistics and history – Soccerway}}</ref> On 14 June 2022 Jerome Okimo left the club to seek regular first team football.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.wealdstone-fc.com/post/player-news-okimo-departs-club | title=PLAYER NEWS | Okimo departs club | date=14 June 2022 }}</ref>
===Barnet=== On 17 June 2022, Okimo agreed to join Barnet in the role of player-coach.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.barnetfc.com/jerome-okimo-joins-the-bees|title=Jerome Okimo joins the Bees|website=www.barnetfc.com|date=17 June 2022|accessdate=17 June 2022}}</ref> After 116 appearances and two goals for the Bees, across three seasons, Okimo retired from playing following Barnet's 2024-25 National League title win, remaining with the club as a coach.<ref>https://barnetfc.com/barnet-fc-2024-25-retained-and-released-list</ref>
== Coaching career == As of 2024, Okimo was a coach for Brentford's Community Sports Trust.<ref>{{Cite web |date=28 March 2024 |title=BFC CST Post 16 Booklet 2024 |url=https://issuu.com/brentfordfccst/docs/post16summarybooklet2024 |access-date=23 April 2024 |page=4 |language=en}}</ref>
==Career statistics== {{updated|end of 2024-25 season}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" |+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition |- ! rowspan=2|Club ! rowspan=2|Season ! colspan=3|League ! colspan=2|FA Cup ! colspan=2|League Cup ! colspan=2|Other ! colspan="2"|Total |- !Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals |- | rowspan=4| Chalfont St Peter | 2010–11<ref name="Jerome Okimo - Aylesbury United">{{Cite web | title = Jerome Okimo – Aylesbury United | url = http://www.aylesburyunitedfc.co.uk/players/jerome-okimo#playingcareer | publisher = Aylesbury United F.C. | accessdate = 17 October 2014}}</ref> | Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division |31||0||1||0||colspan=2|—||6<ref group=lower-alpha name=SSM>Three appearances and one goal in FA Vase, three in Spartan South Midlands Football League Challenge Trophy</ref>||1||38||1 |- | 2011–12<ref name="Jerome Okimo - Aylesbury United"/> | Southern League Division One Central |37||0||2||0||colspan=2|—||1<ref group=lower-alpha name=SL>Appearance(s) in Southern League Cup</ref>||0||40||0 |- | 2012–13<ref name="Jerome Okimo - Aylesbury United"/> | Southern League Division One Central |41||2||5||0||colspan=2|—||2<ref group=lower-alpha name=SL2>One appearance in FA Trophy, one in Southern League Cup</ref>||0||48||2 |- !colspan="2"|Total !109!!2!!8!!0!!colspan="2"|—!!9!!1!!128!!3 |- | Wealdstone | 2013–14<ref name="Jerome Okimo - Aylesbury United"/> | Isthmian League Premier Division |38||0||1||1||colspan=2|—||5<ref group=lower-alpha name=WEA>Three appearances in FA Trophy, two in Isthmian League Cup</ref>||0||44||1 |- | rowspan=3| Stevenage | 2014–15<ref name="Games played by Jerome Okimo in 2014/2015">{{Soccerbase season|77022|2014|name=Jerome Okimo|access-date=17 October 2014}}</ref> | League Two |29||0||1||0||1||0||3<ref group=lower-alpha name=STE>One appearance in Football League Trophy, two in League Two play-offs</ref>||0||34||0 |- | 2015–16<ref name="Games played by Jerome Okimo in 2015/2016">{{soccerbase season|77022|2015|accessdate=17 May 2016}}</ref> | League Two |13||1||0||0||1||0||0||0||14||1 |- !colspan="2"|Total !42!!1!!1!!0!!2!!0!!3!!0!!48!!1 |- | Braintree Town | 2016–17<ref name="Games played by Jerome Okimo in 2016/2017">{{Soccerbase season|77022|2016|name=Jerome Okimo|access-date=4 December 2016}}</ref> | National League |46||1||3||0||colspan=2|—||4<ref group=lower-alpha name=FAT>Appearances in FA Trophy</ref>||1||53||2 |- | rowspan=6| Wealdstone |2017–18<ref name="JOSW">{{soccerway|jerome-okimo/356079|accessdate=12 December 2017}}</ref> |National League South |42||0||2||0||colspan="2"|—||7<ref group=lower-alpha name=FAT/>||0||51||0 |- |2018–19<ref name="JOSW"/> |National League South |43||1||1||0||colspan="2"|—||1<ref group=lower-alpha name=FAT/>||0||45||1 |- |2019–20<ref name="JOSW"/> |National League South |32||3||2||0||colspan="2"|—|||1<ref group=lower-alpha name=FAT/>||1||34||4 |- |2020–21<ref name="JOSW"/> |National League |42||1||1||0||colspan="2"|—||3<ref group=lower-alpha name=FAT/>||0||46||1 |- |2021–22<ref name="JOSW"/> |National League |36||1||1||0||colspan="2"|—||1<ref group=lower-alpha name=FAT/>||0||38||1 |- !colspan="2"|Total !195!!6!!7!!0!!0!!0!!16!!1!!218!!7 |- | rowspan=4| Barnet |2022–23<ref name="JOSW"/> |National League |44||1||4||0||colspan="2"|—||6<ref group=lower-alpha>Five appearances in FA Trophy, one in National League playoffs</ref>||0||54||1 |- |2023–24<ref name="JOSW"/> |National League |42||1||5||0||colspan="2"|—||3<ref group=lower-alpha>Two appearances in FA Trophy, one in National League playoffs</ref>||0||50||1 |- |2024–25<ref name="JOSW"/> |National League |11||0||1||0||colspan="2"|—||0||0||12||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !97!!2!!10!!0!!0!!0!!9!!0!!116!!2 |- !colspan=3|Career total !473||11||29||1||2||0||42||2||546||14 |}
{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}
==Honours== '''Barnet''' *National League: 2024–25<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.soccerbase.com/tournaments/tournament.sd?tourn_id=2111 |title=National League: 2024/25: Current table |website=Soccerbase |publisher=Centurycomm |access-date=5 May 2025}}<br />{{cite web |url=https://www.soccerbase.com/teams/team.sd?team_id=344&teamTabs=stats&season_id=157 |title=Barnet: Squad details: 2024/25 |website=Soccerbase |publisher=Centurycomm |access-date=5 May 2025}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{2019–20 National League South Team of the Year}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Okimo, Jerome}} Category:1988 births Category:Living people Category:English men's footballers Category:Men's association football defenders Category:Footballers from the London Borough of Ealing Category:Chalfont St Peter A.F.C. players Category:Wealdstone F.C. players Category:Stevenage F.C. players Category:Braintree Town F.C. players Category:Barnet F.C. players Category:English Football League players Category:National League (English football) players Category:Isthmian League players Category:Southern Football League players Category:Barnet F.C. non-playing staff Category:Brentford F.C. non-playing staff Category:English football coaches Category:Black British sportsmen Category:21st-century English sportsmen